When three people were shot earlier this summer at downtown nightclub Mandees, local residents were understandably upset. However, ongoing frustrations with noise and parking were reportedly being taken out on the nightclub LAX with a ripple effect on R.U.B BBQ, which was boycott by residents as punishment for renting to LAX. The Detroit News first brought us this story in July, naming Kevin Orlik as the ringleader. To quote:
"I make sure we are either in the apartment by 8 p.m. on the weekends or gone by then because of the crowds," Orlik said. "We want it shut down."
So how is that working out for everyone?
"I have crossed the picket lines," admits Orlik, who did not want to punish staff at R.U.B. for the actions of management. Orlik, a regular, visited waitstaff that convinced him his business was needed. So he's back on the wagon. As for LAX, "it has gotten better," says Orlik, although he would still like to see city officials zone the area for residential purposes only. "This is still our neighborhood so we are not going anywhere." Orlik is a resident of the Kales building, which still has a waiting list for renters despite the shooting; the noise is rumored to be worse for residents of the Fyfe.
Detroit Police Cracking Down on Trouble Nightclubs [Detroit News]